Seeking Revenge
by Jewelbox1322
Summary: A/U. A dangerous man wants revenge against Nathan so he kidnaps him and his family. COMPLETE! :
1. Chapter 1

Hi,

My pen name is Jewelbox and I started this story a long, long time ago and never finished it. As I have forgotten my last author account, I started this new one to once again attempt to finish it  For those of you who have read it and were wanting more, I really appreciate your support. I am also going to work on other stories, mainly involving N/K and Lucas in some sort of adventure/trouble. If you have any ideas or feedback, please let me know. I live off of it!

Enjoy!


	2. Chapter 2

Seeking Revenge by: Jewelbox

Disclaimer: Bridger, Kristin, and Lucas are not mine. They belong to Amblin Entertainment, Universal Television, and the Sci-fi Channel.

Author's note: In this story, Nathan and Kristin are married and have adopted Lucas as their son. I borrowed this concept from Kaitlyn Rose's amazing series. I love all her stories and I suggest you read them, too.

Seeking Revenge

"Mom! Dad! I'm home!" Those were only words he got to say before a cloth full of chloroform clamped over his mouth. Lucas couldn't register what was going on, but in the back of his mind he knew his parents weren't home.

Lucas woke up in a small room, similar to a dungeon. The walls were made of cold, hard stone and the chandelier, which hung in the middle of the room, did little to provide light and warmth. Lucas was shivering but he found he could not move his hands, as they were tiedd behind his back. His feet were bound in the same way and chained to a small hook on the floor. As he opened his eyes, he could slowly begin to make out two other figures across the room.

"Mom! Dad! Is that you?!" He screamed to the unconscious pair which was similarly tied before him.

Nathan heard a small voice in the back of his head and his eyes darted open with the thought that Lucas was crying for help. He slowly took in his surroundings and saw Lucas' figure staring back at him.

"Dad!" Lucas' voice was throaty and almost indistinguishable.

"'Lucas! Are you allright?" Nathan couldn't help but flip into father mode at times like these, which, unfortunately, happened alot.

"I'm okay, dad. I'm just really cold. Is mom with you?"

Nathan tried to get up but found himself confined by the ropes. He could only move his head. He saw a glimpse of red hair beside him laying on the floor and his heart started pounding faster and faster.

"Kristin!" He tried to get her to respond so that he could at least know she wasn't hurt. But she didn't move at all.

"Mom! Please wake up!" Lucas was incredibly hoarse but managed to scream the words out loud enough to get a small moan from his mother.

"That's it, sweetie. Wake up!" Nathan tried to coax her out of her unconscious state.

"Wha--?" Kristin could not get up or sit down. Her hands were tied behind her back and she was laying sideways on the damp floor. Her feet were tied extremely tight and bound to the wall.

"Kristin! Are you okay?"

"I think so. I can't move, though. Nathan, where's Lucas?"

"I'm right here, mom!"

"Oh Thank God! What happened to us? Where are we, Nathan?"

"I don't know. And something tells me we don't want to wait around to find out."

As if timing couldn't have been more perfect, the door to the room slowly opened, revealing a row of eight men, all dressed in black robes and carrying guns, followed by a tall man wearing a black suit. His face was handsome, but his features reeked of evil intent. His jagged nose was met with a short, black, yet pointed mustache, which curled at the ends. . He silently stared at his three captives while his hazel eyes swirled with hints of excitement and mischief.

"Welcome to my castle. I trust you'll find our services to your liking."

"Who the hell are you?!!" Nathan was furious and it was clear by the look on his face that he was two seconds away from strangling that man. However, his chains left him with no other choice but to struggle.

"Allow me to introduce myself, Mr. Bridger. My name is Niles Sinclair. Surely you must have heard of me."

Nathan's face went pale. He had definitely heard that name before. It was the man who, just a few years ago, had destroyed the UEO's most distinguished and most expensive underwater mining colony. The man who killed thousands of innocent scientists at an oceanography institute at the switch of a button. The man who had allegedly died seven months ago in a suicide bombing near New Cape Quest.

"But you're supposed to be dead!"

"Oh, I assure you, Mr. Bridger. I am very much alive. And I plan to follow along with my plans to avenge those imbecils at the UEO and show them once and for all that they should have never messed with me!"

"But you've already caused enough pandemonium. Don't you think you've taken this revenge out on too many innocent people? How many more lives is it going to take?!"

"Clearly you have misunderstood my intent. I have given up with my old ways of terrorizing civilians and nameless people who are of no use to me. No, I have a much better plan in store for you."

This time Kristin jumped into the conversation. She knew who she was dealing with, as well, having heard about Sinclair on the news.

"What do you want from us?!"

Sinclair looked at her and a fiendish smile swept across his face.

"Well, if it isn't the lovely Mrs. Bridger! How delightful of you to join in! But I'm afraid we're going to have to cut this conversation short. Looking at you has left me speechless."

He stared at her with a smirk. HIs eyes roamed around every corner of her body and left her incredibly uncomfortable. Kristin hid her inevitable fear in the back of he rmind and gave him the coldest, most resilient stare she could possibly muster.

"Go to hell, Sinclair."

"My, aren't you a fiery one. Just the way I like 'em. I'll bet you're fiery in bed, too. But I'll find out soon enough." This last comment made Kristin struggle with her bonds and Nathan's heart leap up to his throat.

"Leave her the fuck alone, Sinclair!"

Sinclair snapped his glance towards Nathan. "Dear me, Mr. Bridger. Is that any way to speak in front of your son?"

He turned his attention towards Lucas. At this point, Lucas was scared for his parents and his own life. He knew what Sinclair was capable of. He just didn't know why Sinclair would want them as prisoners. Lucas looked at Sinclair disgustedly.

"Actually, Mr. Sinclair, I think you'd better listen to what my dad just said and leave my mother alone."

Nathan smiled proudly at Lucas, then frowned at Sinclair.

"Listen Sinclair, why don't you just tell us why the hell you've got us locked up here?!"

"All in due time, Mr. Bridger. All in due time. Until then, I'd like to transfer you to your new quarters. I'm sorry for the horrible conditions you were placed in, but it was the only room available while we prepared for your arrivals."

He motioned back at his men with his left hand. Three of them went to Nathan, three to Lucas, and two to Kristin.

"I'm sorry to have to do this again, but I can't risk letting you escape while we transport you."

At this point, one of the men held up a cloth at Lucas' face, another at Nathan's face, and another Kristin's face. The three were completely unconscious in just a few seconds.

"Sweet dreams!" Sinclair laughed at the sight of his three captives succumbing to his power.

They were each untied and carried off to seperate corridors of a seemingly unending hallway.

Sinclair walked into a room decorated in pink and gold, and blanketed with roses. Rose petals were draped across the white satin sheets of the king size bed. He saw Kristin asleep on the bed. She had been placed there by his men. He walked over to her and sat on the bed, admiring her still sleeping figure.

"Soon I'll get rid of that no good husband of yours, and take over everything he wrongfully has. I was supposed to be the captain of Seaquest. I was supposed to be the UEO's golden boy. I was supposed to marry you. Not that creep. The UEO made a big mistake in rejecting me. Nobody rejects Niles Sinclair!"

He clenched his teeth to control his temper.

"No matter. I've taken care of the UEO. And once I take care of Bridger, they'll be begging me to replace him. And I'll take his place in your heart as well."

He chuckled evilly to himself and stared at Kristin.

"Sleep well, my Kristin, for tomorrow is a day you'll never forget. We will be together. I'll see to that."

He picked up her hand, bent down to kiss it, and placed it gently back on the pillow. He got up slowly and walked out the door.

Lucas slowly opened his eyes to a bright light. The bed underneath him was surprisingly comfortable, except for the fact that his hands were tied above his head. He looked around the room. There were two chairs across the room to his right, one of which was hooked up to a machine with various displays and buttons. He looked to his left and saw two men standing on opposite sides of the wall.

"Hey, what's going on here! Let me go!"

The men did not budge, nor did they even look at him. All of a sudden, a door opened, and Nathan was dragged in by two guards and another one holding a gun at him.

"Dad!! Dad, are you okay?"

"Lucas! Stay calm, everything's gonna be alright!"

"Dad! where's mom?"

"I don't know."

The two guards threw Nathan in the chair connected to the machine. They hatched the metal cuffs on his arms and legs, even though he struggled violently. Sinclair walked into the room seconds later.

"Well, gentlemen. So good fo you to join us. Please, make yourselves comfortable."

That last statement was said with an evil snicker. Nathan tried uselessly to free his hands and feet, and Lucas' fear escalated when he realized his father's futile attempts. Nathan tried one last time before sinking in and releasing a huge sigh.

"Okay, Sinclair. Enough with the games. What do you want? Is it money? Do you want to hold us for ransom?"

"If only it were so simple, Bridger. You do realize that I have control over what happens to you and your precious family, don't you? Don't try my patience."

Nathan kept his mouth shut, knowing that any mistake could cost him their lives. Sinclair walked up to the machine next to Nathan's chair and pressed a few buttons. The machine became alive with readings and beeping sounds. They leveled out to moniter a steady heartbeat, namely Nathan's.

"You do know I was next in line for the position of Captain, right? When Stark took over, I helped her become a little...how shall I put this....eccentric...and sent her on her way to resignation and revenge. But of course, the UEO had you to back them up didn't they. Sure, they said I was qualified and gave me all sorts of excuses as to why they couldn't hire me. But then they went and got you. You didn't even want the position. Do you know what that caused me? The years of repressed anger! Well, no matter. I've got you right where I want you. Let me explain how this works, Bridger. That sound you hear is your pulse. I'm surprised you've managed to keep it this calm. But that will soon change. I promise. After my last attack, I sat down and wondered about what I would do once I had you in my clutches. what is the one thing that would make me feel better for all the pain you've caused me? Then it hit me. Clear as daylight, I knew exactly what I would do to get back at you and the UEO in one blow. I thought I would kill you, but that would be too easy. I mean, where's the fun in that? It would be over too quick and I wouldn't enjoy it nearly as much. I thought I would attack the Seaquest and get rid of you and the UEO's prized ship, but then I wouldn't be able to take over afterwards, and I have every intention of becoming the SeaQuest's captain."

He took a few steps back and examined the terrified look on Nathan's face.

"I thought I'd make you suffer before I slowly and painfully kill you."

Lucas couldn't hold his fear and anger any longer.

"No!! Don't hurt him! I swear I'll kill you if you do!"

Sinclair turned around to face Lucas.

"Oh, Nathan. Isn't that adorable. You've got Junior here trying to protect you. Well, let me tell you something, my boy. I wouldn't worry about your dear old dad if I were you. You should be worried about your own well- being. After all, how do you hurt the person you hate the most, if not through the people he loves?"

Now Lucas was even more terrified and this time, it clearly showed through in his eyes. Sinclair had a plan, and he wasn't squeamish about hurting women and children. This could be bad. Very bad.


	3. Chapter 3

Seeking Revenge

chapter 2

Author: Jewelbox

Back at Kristin's room...

Kristin woke up suddenly aware of where she was. The room she was in smelled like a rose garden; a scent that, under normal circumstances, would've helped relax Kristin. But this was different. Some madman was keeping her and her family captive and she didn't want to stay in that room any longer. She got up and looked around for a way to escape. She figured the door was locked, but decided to try anyway. Much to her surprise, the doorknob swung to the right and she was able to open the door. She stuck her head out to check for anyone in the halls. When she found that no one was there, she went out of the room and walked down the corridor towards the right. All throughout, the hall was decorated in old-fashioned medival armor, shields, and even swords. Kristin was terrified as she walked past the statues and antiques. At last, she arrived at the end of the hall, where the path diverted in two different directions. She stood there for a few seconds, trying to decide which way to go, when all of a sudden she heard a scream.

"NOOOO!!! Don't hurt him!!"

"Nathan" she whispered to her self. She turned to the left, where the scream had come from, and ran in that direction.

Back in the room where Nathan and Lucas were...

At this point, the machine monitering Nathan's heartbeat started beeping faster. He couldn't hide the fact that he was scared at the prospect of his family being hurt by this lunatic.

"Well, Mr. Bridger. I see you're starting to respond to my threats. That's a good sign. But the fun is only just beginning." Sinclair smiled at him and moved to stand the corner of the room. He motioned to the two men who were there. They slowly moved towards Lucas and smiled evilly at each other.

"You know what to do boys. Don't keep me waiting." Sinclair added with a smirk of anticipation.

The man at Lucas' left suddenly punched him in the ribs, being sure that the blow would eventually turn into a large bruise. Lucas gasped for air. Sinclair let out a small and eager giggle.

"Leave him alone, you bastards!" Nathan was furious. But even more so, he was worried about his son. He was struggling with his bonds, but knewhe wouldn't get free. He felt helpless seeing those men beat up Lucas to torture him. His heartbeat was becoming even faster than before. The men continued to punch at Lucas, who could do nothing to defend himself. He was struggling to stay conscious as he received each blow to the stomach.

Just outside, Kristin had found the room where Nathan and Lucas were in. She could hear them through the door. She could hear Nathan's screams and Lucas' gasps for air. Lucas, her son, being tormented by these monsters. She couldn't take it. She tried to open the door, but it was locked. She looked around but saw no one. All of a sudden, she heard footsteps getting nearer. She searched frantically for a place to hide, running to the opposite side of where she heard the footsteps. As she moved to turn around the corner, she collided face to face with one of Sinclair's guards, who immediately grabbed her arms.

"Well, well, well, look what we've got here. " Kristin started struggling and kicking at the guard to try and escape from his hold, but the guard quickly flung her over his shoulder. "Let's go get you to Sinclair before you cause any more trouble."

The guards approached the door and knocked. Sinclair opened the door, obviously irritated at having been interrupted.

"This had better be important!" He held back his anger as much as possible.

"Sorry sir, but we found her wandering through the halls." The guard who had Kristin put her back down and turned her to face Sinclair. She gasped with fear at the sudden realization that she was caught. Sinclair just smiled at her, but there was mischief in his smile. He reached out to grab her hand and pulled her towards him. He was incredibly strong, thought Kristin, and decided it best not to struggle.

"Thank you boys, you've done well." With that, Sinclair shut the door and pulled Kristin with him into the room. Kristin immediately looked for signs of Nathan or Lucas, but she was not prepared to deal with what she saw. Nathan was hooked up to a machine which, being a doctor, she rcognized as being a heart monitor, and Lucas was tied up and being beaten right before their eyes by two crazy, and very muscular, henchmen. She panicked.

"Lucas! For God's sake, Sinclair, stop this right now!!" She screamed and struggled against Sinclair.

At the sound of her voice, Nathan turned his head to look at her. He was grateful to know she was okay, but he couldn't stop worrying about Lucas.

"Sinclair stop this, please!! He's just a boy! He doesn't deserve this! I beg you to stop them!" Kristin's voice was trembling and she couldn't stop the tears from streaming down her face.

"Oh, come on Kristin, I was just having some fun with your kid. Besides, look at Nathan's face. I have waited years for this moment. I'm not about to let it stop now. Unless..."

His lengthy pause made the men stop their torment. Lucas was struggling to breathe, but was conscious and seemed to be okay. They hadn't touched his face, but he was sure he would have more than a couple of marks on his body hiding under his shirt. Sinclair continued.

"Unless...I have a much better proposition." He looked intently at Kristin, who gave him a somewhat confused look.

"I'll let them go. If you stay and be mine." Kristing couldn't hide the terror in her eyes when he said those words. "If I can't have Nathan's beloved ship, I'll settle for his beloved wife." Kristin looked over at Lucas, who tried to pretend like he was allright, but his wheezing let her know he was just putting on a brave front and was actually in pain. Then she looked at Nathan. He was almost going to cry. He shook his head and whispered to her.

"Don't, Kristin. Please." His love for her was more than obvious. He knew her decision. Kristin looked down at the floor, regaining her composure. She looked back up determined, holding back the tears that were threatening to fall. She looked at Sinclair.

"I'd do anything to protect my family." Her words came out trembling and Sinclair couldn't help but smile.

"Excellent." He said, motioning for his men to let Nathan and Lucas go. The men started undoing the metal clasps around their hands and feet.

"Mom! No! Don't stay! Please!" Lucas didn't have much strength to fight or scream, but he tried as best as he could to convince his mother to change her mind.

"Kristin, listen to me! Don't stay with this madman! I love you! Please!" Nathan was also desperate ro keep Kristin from turning herself over for their protection. More guards came in and two of them grabbed Nathan, while another two took Lucas. They started dragging them out the door.

"No! Sinclair I swear I'll kill you! You bastard! Let her go! Take me instead!"

Sinclair just laughed. Kristin struggled to break free from his grasp and run to Nathan and Lucas.

"Nathan, I love you! Please take care of Lucas! Get him to a hospital!" She was crying by now. She reached out her free hand towards him, but he was being held back by the men. She quickly stomped on Sinclair's foot, causing him to wince in pain and momentarily let her go. She took the opportunity to run to Nathan, and give him one last kiss. But it was shortlived. Sinclair had recovered and had reached over to her. He pulled them apart and slapped Kristin across her face, causing her to lose her balance, and collapse to the floor.

"You are mine now, dear Kristin. Get used to that."

"Kristin! I'll come back for you!" Those were Nathan's last words as the guards carried him and Lucas away from the room. They put up a fight as they were dragged to the entrance of the castle. One of the guards knocked them out with the but of his gun, and the rest moved Nathan and Lucas to the back of a limosine. They drove for a few hours before opening the door and dropping an unconsious Nathan and Lucas out into an open field. Then they drove off. It took Nathan a few minutes to gain back consciousness. He realized they were no longer in the castle. He remembered what happened. He looked around for Lucas.

"Lucas!" He spotted him a few feet behind him and crawled over to the still form of the young boy. He shook him a bit to try to wake up.

"Lucas, can you hear me?! We have to go get help! Lucas!"

"Wha??" Lucas tried to sit up, but instantly regretted it as he felt the intense pain of his bruises.

"Dad. I don't feel so good." He said, as he grabbed his stomach and rubbed his bruises gently.

"I know, kiddo. I'm sorry about what happened. But we have to find the nearest hospital and get you some help and then we have to find a way to get Kristin back." He hugged his son as he looked around for any way of finding help. There didn't seem to be anyone for miles. This wasn't going to be easy.


	4. Chapter 4

Seeking Revenge- part 3

Kristin had never been as frightened before in her life. She got up from the floor and rubbed her cheek. The impact had created the beginnings of a bruise. She wasn't sure what she had just done, but she knew that at least Nathan and Lucas would be safe; and if that meant that she had to spend the rest of her life in this place with a madman, then so be it. Sinclair was taking her back to her room, unaccompanied by any more guards. The whole time, she was staring at the floor, her tears quietly streaming down her face. Sinclair was holding her arm to make sure she wouldn't get away. As they were nearing her room, Sinclair broke the silence.

"You know,that was a very foolish thing you did back there, my dear. "

Kristin remained staring down at the floor. "I'm never going to see him again. I had to say goodbye to the only man I love. The only man I'll ever love, you heartless bastard!"

The look on Sinclair's face made her instantly regret having said those words. Sinclair forcefully pulled her closer to him until her face was in front of his. His voice was almost a whisper.

"Believe me, Kristin. You'll learn to love me whether you like it or not. I'll make sure of it. Because if you don't, I will not hesitate to hunt them down again and destroy your precious family! So if I were you, I'd be a little more careful about what I say to the man who has complete control over my future. "With that, he pushed her into her room and locked her in from the outside. He was clearly upset over her resistance, but he knew he could change her mind.

Back at the field:

Nathan and Lucas had been walking for what seemed like hours. Lucas was leaning on Nathan for support and was incredibly tired and was starting to lose hope.

"Dad, please stop. I can't go on."

"Lucas, we can't give up. I know you're tired and hurt, but we can't just lie around while Kristin is being held by madman."

"Dad, I know. I'm not saying we should give up. I'm really scared for mom, too. And I honestly want to keep walking, But I really can't go on much further right now."

Nathan looked at his son and let out a small smile.

"You're right. We have been walking a long time. Why don't you lie down for a few minutes. I'll keep walking and see if I find something nearby. I have a feeling we might be close to a road or something."

"Okay. But promise you'll come back for me."

"Actually, I plan on leaving you here all alone forever."

Lucas smiled a little and then slowly let himself down on the ground. Nathan helped him down and took off his jacket. He placed it in a bunch and let Lucas lay his head on it to get a little more comfortable.

"I'll be back, kiddo."

With that, he took off. After a while, he started to hear some noises. His curiosity and adrenaline peaked, and he started walking faster and faster, and then running towards the sounds. He was certain there was a road nearby. Eventually he reached a clearing which was actually a dirt road leading perpendicular to him. Nathan couldn't have been more grateful, but from what he saw, not many people went through the road. He stood there for a few minutes catching his breath, hoping for any sign of a car coming through. He got his wish. A blue pickup truck was slowly making its way from the left. Nathan quickly got in the middle of the road and started waving his hands. The truck eventually stopped right in front of him. The driver got out to see what was going on. He looked like the average farmer, complete with the ratty pair of overalls.

"Can I help you, sir?"

"Please! I am Captain Nathan Hale Bridger of the SeaQuest. My son and I were kidnapped and dropped off in the middle of this field. We need to get to a phone so we can call for help. Can you give us a ride?"

The farmer's concern was clearly marked on his face. "Dear Lord! THE Nathan Bridger? Of course! Are you all right?"

"I'm okay, but my son is in pretty bad shape. He was beaten by some men and is heavily bruised."

"Where is he?"

"I left him to rest for a while just back here." Nathan pointed to where Lucas was.

"Well, let's go get him, then. I can take you to the nearest hospital."

"You have no idea how grateful I would be." Nathan led the farmer back to where Lucas was, and together they carried him back to the truck.

"By the way, my name is Chuck. Chuck Pearson."

"I'll remember that name for the rest of my life, Mr. Pearson." Nathan smiled and extended his hand.

Chuck had arrived just in time, cause the sun had almost set and it got pitch dark after about an hour of driving. Nathan had fallen asleep next to Lucas by the time they got to the hospital. Nathan woke up and quickly called the emergency paramedics nearby. He gave them Lucas' information and they took him to get treated. Knowing that Lucas was in good hands, Nathan turned back to Chuck.

"Mr. Pearson, you have literally saved our lives."

"Well, Captain. To tell ya the truth, it was an honor. I'd heard about you on the news. It seems the whole world has been looking fer ya."

Nathan knew there would be a search party, but he was surprised that it had gotten on the news.

"Really? What have they said?"

"Not much. Just mentioned that you and yer family were taken from yer home and nobody has any idea where you were. They's gots the police trying to find out. Maybe you should call and tell 'em what happened."

"Not just yet. I don't want the guy who's behind this to know I'm alive until I know what to do."

Chuck paused for a second as he thought of something. "I see. Well, fergiveme for intrudin', but what did happen to y'all?

Nathan wasn't really up to saying much, but he gave Chuck the condensed version of what happened, without telling him Sinclair's name or about why he was going after Nathan. He also left out the part about Sinclair wanting Kristin. Chuck was clearly shocked by the story.

"How could a man do such a thing to a boy. It's insane!" He paused for a few moments and then looked at Nathan."Say...where's your wife? They said on the news that she was taken too."

Nathan looked down trying to hold back tears as he heard the question.

"She..." He paused, not knowing if he could go on. He held back a sob. "She... she's still at the castle. The guys who did this wouldn't let her get away."

"Captain, I'm so sorry. You really should tell the FBI. Maybe they can help you track down the bastard that did this. They wouldn't go public." Chuck was truly concerned, even though he had only known Nathan for a few hours.

"First things first, Mr. Pearson. Right now, I'm very worried about my son. I'm going to go up to his room and keep watch on him, make sure he's okay. Then I'll deal with whoever I need to deal with. I'm going to have to ask that you keep quiet and pretend you never saw me and you know nothing about me. Please."

"Yes, sir. I understand. You should go to your son. I have a family of my own to go take care of. But if you need anything, let me give you my address."

Chuck wrote down his address on a piece of paper on the emergency counter and handed it to Nathan.

"I really hope your boy is okay. And don't worry, I won't tell anyone."

"Thank you, Mr. Pearson. I appreciate this wholeheartedly."

"Like I said, it was an honor." He smiled and bowed slightly toward Nathan. Nathan bowed back and started walking away. "Oh, Captain..." Nathan looked back at him. "Good luck getting your wife back." Nathan nodded to show his gratitude, but was unable to speak. Nathan kept walking towards the elevator and went up to Lucas' room. When he got there, hew saw that the boy was awake resting on the bed, hooked up to a few monitors. A nurse was in the room with him, placing ice packs on a few of the large bruises on his sides. Nathan walked inside.

"Hey, kiddo."

Lucas looked up at Nathan and smiled. "Dad, I'm so glad we made it, but how did we get here?"

Nathan realized the boy had been asleep the whole time and had absolutely no idea what was going on.

"Well, we were lucky. I found a road near where we were and a farmer came by and gave us a ride here."

"Oh."

The nurse took the opportunity to speak up.

"I assume you're Mr. Bridger."

"Yes. I'm the boy's father. Is he going to be okay?"

"Well, he's broken a few ribs and he has some minor bruises all over his sides and stomach. We've given him some drugs to numb the pain, but he should be okay in a few days. The wounds need to heal and he needs to keep completely still. We'd like for him to stay at the hospital for the night."

Nathan looked at the boy, knowing how much he hated hospitals. "I'm sorry Lucas. I know you don't want to stay but you need your rest."

"No, it's okay, dad. I don't mind. I know well enough that I'm in no condition to leave here right now."

Nathan smiled at how well the boy was dealing with the situation. Their lives had completely turned around in the last 24 hours. He looked at the nurse, wanting some private time to talk to his son and think about what he was going to do.

"Nurse, thank you so much for all your help. I'm going to stay with my son for a bit. I'll let you know if we need anything else."

"Yes sir. I'll be out in the lobby. Just ring the button next to the bed."

"Thanks again." The nurse left the room and Nathan took a seat next to Lucas' bed.

"Kiddo, I'm so sorry about what's happened to you. It's my fault that bastard did that. And it's my fault that Kristin..." Nathan tried to finish the sentence but was at a loss for words. He held back a sob. Lucas looked at his dad sympathetically and grabbed his hand.

"Dad, you know you're not to blame for what happened. It's that man who doesn't realize that no other man ould ever captain the SeaQuest the way you did. And it's HIS fault he is so obsessed with mom and is such a loser to have to kidnap people to get his way. Don't let this creep get the best of us, dad. We have to be strong for mom. We've got to get her back and show Sinclair that no one messes with the Bridger family."

Nathan was so proud of his son, standing up for his family and being strong for them when they needed it the most. He squeezed the boy's hand.

"You're right Lucas. We need to find a way to stop this man. But how? We don't even know where he is. You need to get your rest. But I'll contact Noyce and round up our crew. We're going to need all the help we can get to fight Sinclair and his goons. We need to save Kristin! I just hope that asshole keeps his hands off of her! I can't...Lucas, I can't stand the thought of her being held captive by this lunatic. We've already seen he's capable of. Who knows what he'll do to her?"

Nathan looked back at Lucas and saw that he had fallen asleep due to the medications. He let out a big sigh and rested his forehead on Lucas' hand. His family meant everything to him. He couldn't let one man ruin his one source of happiness. He quickly got up and walked out to make some phone calls.


	5. Chapter 5

Seeking Revenge-part 4

Kristin was locked inside the room, no matter how hard she banged on the door. Finally, she gave up and decided to sit on the edge of the bed, clutching one of the many pillows on the otherwise comfortable bed.

She couldn't stop the tears from falling as she thought about what had just happened. Lucas was beaten, and the only two people who mattered in her life were just taken away from her. She'd probably never see them again. But she knew she had to be strong. Nathan would most surely be sending out a search crew to come rescue her. Right? He must've made it safely back to the SeaQuest. Sinclair clearly had no intentions of wanting them to survive this. Maybe he killed them anyways. No...Kristin couldn't think like that. They had to be all right.

Kristin looked around at her room once more. She walked over to the window and opened the red velvet drapes. She saw that the windows were covered with steel bars to make sure she didn't try anything...a very unlikely situation, considering the room was about 20 stories high. She heard something behind her and saw that someone slipped a note under her door. She reached over to read it.

Dearest Kristin,  I trust you will make yourself comfortable in your new home. There is no escaping my castle, so don't try anything to test my mercy. I wasn't joking when I said I would hunt your precious family once again. I am your family now. I had my men take the liberty of providing everything you need. You will find something suitable to wear in the closet. I suspect you must be hungry, so I will send someone to come get you in an hour. Don't disappoint me, my love. You can make this easy and enjoyable or you can make it difficult and painful.

Kristin was disgusted by this madman's use of the word love. How dare he think he could try to woo her after what he'd done, knowing that Nathan was the only man she could ever love. Nathan. She had to be strong for him. He needs to time to work out a plan. She couldn't upset Sinclair or she'd ruin whatever chance Nathan had of getting to her. She had to keep Sinclair distracted. She went over to the bathroom and decided to take a hot shower to refresh herself. This was going to take a lot of strength.

After her shower, Kristin emerged from the bathroom wearing a long silk bathrobe. She had just finished drying her hair and putting on some makeup that was left there. She looked in the closet and found a dress that was absolutely stunning. This would surely make Sinclair think she was being compliant.

Downstairs in the dining room:

Sinclair was sitting at the head of a rectangular table, able to seat about 10 people. The room was dark but elegant, with rich red drapes and wine colored carpeting, soft candles and some light music playing in the background. Sinclair was dressed in a tuxedo, his mustache shaved off and his hair slicked back with gel. There were two place settings on the table, one of which was right next to his. His servants were pouring champagne and lighting the candles on the table. The door opened, revealing Kristin escorted by two of his men. She looked incredible. Her hair was neatly held back by a simple barrette, and the dress was a tight, low cut halter in an emerald green that, along with her makeup, brought out her brown eyes. Sinclair got up as soon as he saw her.

"Well, well well. It seems like you've come to your senses. And might I add, you look more beautiful than ever."

Kristin swallowed quietly and held back her comment. She nodded curtly and walked over to where the guards led her. Sinclair quickly pulled out her chair for her and helped her sit down. He quickly leaned over to smell her hair. She winced, but held back. He took his seat next to hers and smiled at her.

"Go ahead. Eat. You must be starving after such a troubling day."

One of the servants placed a plate of steak and mashed potatoes in front of both of them and they ate quietly for a few minutes. Kristin thought the potatoes tasted funny but didn't think much of it because she was so hungry. Sinclair paused as he took another sip of champagne. He looked at one of his men, who nodded back, causing Sinclair to smile. Then he looked at Kristin. She noticed he was staring at her and put down her champagne.

"I hope we can forget everything that's happened and start over. I want to make you a very happy woman, Kristin. Come. Let us go upstairs and get you a little more comfortable. You look good enough to eat in that dress, but you'd look even better without it."

Kristin held back a gasp at what Sinclair had just said, but tried to keep calm. She had to convince him that he was winning so she could get the upper hand. Perhaps she could try to seduce him and then subdue him without him expecting it. She could knock him out and escape. She was feeling tired and out of control, but she had only had one glass of champagne, which was hardly enough to get her drunk. No, something was wrong and she had to leave fast.

"Yes, Sinclair. Let's go somewhere a little more...private."

Sinclair looked yearningly at her, beaming with delight. He got up and reached out his hand. She put her hand in his and he led her back to her room. As soon as they got there, Sinclair went over to her closet and pulled out a sheer black nightgown that left little to the imagination. He smiled at her and she smiled back at him, seductively.

"I took the liberty of picking this one out for you myself. Allow me to help you out of that dress so you can change."

He approached her slowly and turned her around to face her back. He wrapped his right hand around her and reached over to cup her left breast. The sensation made Kristin want to kick him, but she couldn't. She had to stick to her plan. Sinclair's left hand reached and started undoing the zipper on the left side of her dress, slowly and teasingly. He was kissing her left shoulder as he did so. Kristin wished it was Nathan who was doing all of this. She looked over and saw the vase she had been eyeing for a while. She was about to reach for it, but her arm was too short. Change of plan. She quickly pulled away from Sinclair, happy to get his hands and lips off of her but she did it in such a way that SInclair was not angry. She acted casually about it, still smiling seductively as she did do. He was more aroused by it. Kristin was nervous, not really knowing what to do or say, but she had a few tricks in mind. Unfortunately, her mind was not working at it's best right now. There was definitely something wrong.

"Before we go any further, Sinclair, I want to make sure my family is safe. If I can have your word that you will never harm them again, then I think I can be a more...willing...prisoner."

"Kristin, I assure you. We dropped them off safe and sound. I wouldn't want you to mistrust me. After all, I am your new lover."

Kristin's stomach squirmed inside as he used that word. But she had to play along. He reached over at a large velvet box that was next to the vase on the table and opened it to reveal one of the most beautiful diamond necklaces Kristin had ever seen. He reached over and placed it around her neck. Kristin just stared blankly ahead as he reached behind her to hook the clasp. As he leaned back, he kissed her ear and trailed kisses down her jaw and neckline. She tried to move her head away from him but he followed her moves. He cupped her face in his hands.

"I am a very wealthy man. I can give you anything you want and all you have to do is ask."

Kristin looked down at the necklace and reached her hand to touch it. She looked back up at Sinclair, who was smiling brightly at her. She forced a smile at him.

"Anything I want?" She asked rather seductively.

"Anything, my pet." He leaned over and kissed her full on the lips. At first, she didn't have the strength to resist. Something was making her succumb to him. Her mind was reeling with thoughts. Thoughts about what was happening. She had been drugged. She needed to get away. She needed Nathan to come rescue her. Nathan. She quickly pushed at him and tried to break away, but he became more insistent. Finally she kicked him with what little strength she had, but it wasn't enough to hurt him seriously. He did, however, let her go. He looked down at her menacingly. Short of breath, she managed to utter a few words.

"The only thing I want is my family back. Can you give me that?"

She quickly reached for the vase that was nearby and tried to swing it at him, but her arm was weak and she didn't have enough strength to hit him hard enough. The vase merely rubbed against him and fell to the floor, shattering into thousands of pieces. Now Kristin was scared. Her plan had failed because he had drugged her. Sinclair was visibly upset.

"Kristin, I have tried to reason with you and make you understand that you will never see your family again. I have given you a choice between having them killed or living happily with me, I offer you the world and you refuse. I will not stand for this! You are mine Kristin. And if I can't have you willingly, then I shall have to use force."

Kristin felt lightheaded. She could barely stand up on her own. She tried to make her way towards the door, which was open, but Sinclair beat her to it and quickly grabbed her and slung her over his shoulder.

"Let me go, Sinclair! Please! You don't have to do this!"

"Be quiet, my sweet. I'm about to show you that I own every part of you. And if you know what's good for you and your family, you will not struggle against me."

Kristin couldn't stop the tears. Nothing made sense right now. She was feeling dizzy and scared. She knew what was coming, but refused to believe it would. Her body was limp in his arms and she had no control over it. Sinclair carried her and dropped her on the bed, forcefully. Kristin used up all her strength and pushed herself back towards the headboard, but Sinclair matched her every move and remained on top of her. He was kissing her now, his hands and feet pinning her down. He used one hand to hold both of hers over her head while the other one worked on her dress. He untied the back of the halter around her neck and quickly yanked it down, revealing her chest. He grabbed her left breast, groping and rubbing, and proceeded to kiss his way down her neck and over her nipple, biting harshly. Kristin let out a harsh cry of pain, but Sinclair didn't seem to care. All of a sudden one of Sinclair's men ran through the open door.

"Sir! Sir! I'm sorry to interrupt! It's an emergency! "

Sinclair was really upset about the intrusion. Keeping a hold on Kristin's hands, Sinclair turned his head to look at the guard.

"I do not appreciate the lack of privacy! I'm in the middle of something here! What is it?!!" He was seriously angry. The guard was very nervous, looking everywhere but directly at Sinclair and Kristin.

"Uh, sir. It's about Captain Bridger. You should come see."

Kristin thought she saw a hint of compassion as the guard glanced at her for one second. Sinclair let go of her hands and she quickly gathered her dress over her chest and pulled the blanket towards her. He got off the bed and walked over to the guard.

"You. This better be good." He turned around and stared at Kristin. He pointed a finger at her.

"And you. My dear, I hope you will be a little more submissive when I come back. Now excuse me while I go tend to your dear husband and son. Make sure they're not getting themselves into any trouble. We haven't finished, love. No, we've only just begun."

He turned back to the guard.

"Watch over her. Make sure she doesn't try anything stupid. I want her ready when I get back."

With that, he left to tend to important matters. The guard looked back at Kristin, who was huddled in the bed covering herself with the blanket. He slowly approached her, making sure not to startle her. He whispered the following words to her.

"Mrs. Bridger. I do not mean to harm you. My name is Joseph McNeely. I am a UEO agent working undercover for Sinclair in hopes of stopping him. He is a very powerful man with a lot of influential friends who will stop at nothing to make sure he gets his way. We have been tracking him for several months now. Before his alleged suicide. We all knew he bluffed it, but it made the public much more calm to think he had disappeared. We, however, have been waiting for the opportune moment to get him. I know you are scared and I know you miss your family. I can't say more, but I can tell you that they are safe. They reached a hospital nearby. In the meantime I will try to watch over you and make sure he doesn't hurt you. Pretend you've fallen asleep so that Sinclair can't...hurt you anytime soon. I'll help convince him. You must trust me on this. If I were to be found out, I'd be killed. I need you to cooperate."

Kristin was still shocked. She had been praying for a miracle and here it was in the form of a UEO officer. If they got out of this alive she would remember to pay more respect to the military. Sometimes they had ways of making up for their wrongdoings.

"Mr. McNeely. You have no idea how grateful I am to see you. I'd begun to lose all hope."

There was a noise down the hallway that made them both look toward the door. "Shh He's coming back. .Quick, go to sleep."

She quickly nodded at him and curled up on one side, eyes closed. He stepped back a bit and stood on guard. Sinclair entered the room and spoke to the guard.

"Well, I'm glad you informed me of this. I guess Bridger and son did better than I thought. No matter, they have no clue where we are. And they know what's at stake if they try."

He looked over and saw that Kristin was asleep.

"Why is she asleep?"

"Sir, I think you may have given her too much of that drug. She almost immediately passed out as soon as you left. I tried to wake her, but she was unresponsive. Not even to force."

"You hit her?!" Sinclair was outraged.

"No, no sir...I merely jerked her a bit to see if she would wake up. I wanted her to be ready for you."

Sinclair visibly lightened up.

"Well. I guess I must be satisfied with only having gotten a taste. When she wakes up, the feast will begin."

He looked back mischievously at Kristin, then back at the guard.

"Come. I want to keep a close watch on the Bridgers and make sure they don't interfere. Maybe we'll send them a postcard."

He laughed a bit and led McNeely down the hallway and down the stairs. Kristin opened her eyes slowly, making sure no one was around. She stood up and fixed her dress and, with what little energy she had, went to the door. Just as she thought, McNeely had left it unlocked. She checked outside and saw that the coast was clear. She carefully walked out and down the hall. She could hear Sinclair and McNeely talking downstairs. There were also some other voices. She walked down the hall and saw an open door to the left. Her curiosity got the best of her and she peeked inside. There was no one there, but the television was on. Kristin listened in as she saw that the news was talking about Nathan and Lucas.

"...and we have received word that Captain Bridger and his son, Lucas, have been found. Lucas was badly bruised and is currently being treated at Miracle Mercy Hospital. Captain Bridger is at the UEO central office in New Cape Quest. The press has been kept off of this case and no one is allowed to see the captain or the young boy. Also, no news yet of the captain's wife, Kristin. It is thought that she may not have made it alive through this terrible ordeal. Stay tuned for more as the story develops."

Kristin sighed, relieved that her family was safe and being treated. Her relief was short-lived as she heard footsteps approaching. With nowhere to go, she quickly hid inside a closet door on the opposite side of the room. She left the door slightly ajar so she could see what was going on. Sinclair and a few men, including McNeely, walked in laughing.

"Yes boys, it seems everything is going won't be long before our plan comes full circle. Pretty soon, I have Bridger's wife, his son has been beaten up and he has absolutely no idea where we are. He's like a chicken with his head cut off. I do wish I could have killed him. Or at least killed that brat of his. Watch him suffer slowly. But I did end up with a much better bargain, I must say."

He looked back towards where Kristin's room would be.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I would like to pay my prize a visit...see if she can't be woken up in a better mood. Don't interrupt me, gentlemen. I won't be coming back for a while."

Some of the men were laughing as Sinclair smiled mischievously. He walked out of the room and not one minute later came running back in. Kristin could see everything clearly.

"Men, I want you all to search the castle! She's gone! She must have woken up and wandered off. Find her! And when you do, bring her to me. She needs to know who's boss. I won't let her get away that easily this time. Go! NOW!"

Sinclair was angrier than she had ever seen him. They all left the room. The men scrambled in every direction. Kristin looked over and saw there was a communications desk in the corner. She could vidlink to SeaQuest. Let them trace the call and find out where she was. She ran over and turned it on. She grew impatient as the machine was taking way too long. Finally, the vidlink booted up and she began to type in a few commands. Before she got very far, a group of guards came into the room and spotted her. One of them got the radio on the waist.

"Sir, we've got her. She's in the communications room."

Another guard spoke up. "Mrs. Bridger you would be wise to step away from the vidlink. We don't want to have to hurt you."

Kristin backed away slowly from the vidlink. She looked around and knew she was outnumbered. Out of the corner of her eye she saw another door. She was close enough that she knew she could make it through before the men got to her. Without further thought, she turned and ran as fast as she could through the door. Sinclair's men quickly responded and tried to follow her, but she had locked the door behind her. She looked around and was shocked. Everywhere, there were maps of the world with targets on them, hundreds, maybe thousands of guns and other weapons racked on the walls and on tables. One corner of the room caught her eye immediately. Dozens of pictures of her, taking from a hidden camera. There were a few of her grocery shopping, watching tv with Nathan and Lucas, sleeping, showering, even one of her and Nathan in bed together. That one had Nathan's face scratched out. In large red letters was the word "MINE". Kristin quickly turned around and there, on the wall, was a giant map of New Cape Quest, with specific targets marked and several blueprints for bombs and missiles. She looked over and saw a blueprint of the SeaQuest, also with several targets marked on it. And a picture of Nathan, with a knife embedded right on his face. Kristin let out a small gasp.

"Oh my God. He's going to attack again!"

She walked over to the picture of Nathan and removed the knife. She dropped it on the floor. She reached her hand up and placed it on Nathan's cheek in the picture.

"Nathan, you've got to stop him. Please."

A noise behind her startled her. She turned around and found herself face to face with Sinclair. Several of his men were behind him.

"Well, hello there, dear." He forcefully grabbed her right arm and pulled her toward him.

"How did you..."

"I know my way around this castle. But that is of no concern to you. It seems I underestimated you. You really know how to upset me, Kristin. My patience is not to be toyed with!"

His voice was growing in intensity.

"Now, you were planning on calling your dear hubby, weren't you? Well, why don't we give him a call together! Show him all the fun he's missing."

He dragged her next to him towards a bookshelf against the wall. He pulled one of the books out and the whole shelf quietly moved out of the way to reveal a darkened hallway, lit by only a few torches. So that's how he did it, thought Kristin. Sinclair kept pulling her down the hallway as the men followed closely behind. They passed by many doors, but stopped at one in particular towards the end of the hall.

"Now, Kristin. Now, is when I make sure your family or anyone else at the UEO comes near me ever again."

He opened the door and led her in. Inside there was what looked to be a long examination table complete with arm and leg straps. Around it were various tools that could only be described as instruments of torture. Kristin couldn't hide her fear any longer. Sinclair looked at her terror- stricken face and smiled.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 5:

"Nathan, we're so relieved to hear from you! We saw on the news! What happened?" Bill Noyce, Nathan's oldest and closest friend, and head of the UEO, sounded deeply concerned on the vidphone.

"Bill, it's kind of a long story. As it turns out, our old friend, Niles Sinclair is still out there. He faked his own death, the bastard!"

Noyce registered what he just heard. He looked worried, but it seemed he was also hiding something.

"Not only that, Bill, but he kidnapped us. My family! He tried to use them against me! He tortured Lucas so he could see me suffer…and Kristin…"

Nathan stopped as his eyes filled with tears.

"Nathan…are you alright? What happened to Kristin?" Bill tried to console him but he really wanted to know what happened at the castle.

"Bill, he took her for himself. He said he was going to kill us and she said she'd stay with him if he spared me and Lucas…"

It wasn't like Nathan to cry, and he was fighting hard not to. But he couldn't help a tear get by every now and then and his words were choked.

"Are you and Lucas all right, Nathan?"

"Lucas is injured, but the doctors say he'll be fine in a bit. He just needs some rest." He paused for a moment to breathe in. "They didn't hurt me one bit. They just hurt the people I love. That's how they get to you, Bill. He wanted what I had. He wanted the SeaQuest…and now he wanted Kristin." He slapped down on the desk and put his head in his hands, facing down in defeat. "And I have no idea where she is…or how to get her back."

Noyce paused for sec, showing compassion for his old friend.

"Nathan, I think there's something you should know. We've known about Sinclair for a while now."

Nathan looked up, realizing what Noyce just said. HE quickly got up, his anger showing through.

"What?! Dammit Bill! You mean to tell me you knew all along this…maniac…was out there and you didn't do anything about it?"

Nathan was absolutely furious, and he started pacing around the room, ready to pounce.

"Nathan, listen to me! We have an insider! One of Sinclair's men is actually one of our special agents. He's been contacting us as often as possible."

"How often? Has he called you recently?" Nathan looked hopeful, having calmed down a bit, but still visibly upset.

"He hasn't yet, but we're expecting him to soon. I'm sure once he sees Kristin is there, he'll find a way to reach us and let us know that she's all right."

"Do you know where she is?"

"We have the location…but we can't just go bargin in…the man is a very powerful terrorist. He has a lot of friends who would like to see you and the UEO fall. We need to plan this out."

"Then get my crew together and have them meet me at my house tonight as soon as they can get there. I'm going to need someone to watch over Lucas while I go save my wife."

With that, he hung up and went back to Lucas' hospital room. He was awake, watching tv. He turned it off when his dad came in.

"Hey kiddo. How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling okay. Better actually. But I'm still so tired. What time is it?"

"It's only 4:00pm. That's the medication. No doubt they'll put you back to sleep soon."

"Good. I need to catch up. And from the looks of it, you do too. Are you sure you don't want some of this? It's good stuff."

He motioned towards his IV while saying that, which made Nathan giggle a little.

"Just don't get too attached." He paused and then walked over to Lucas and sat down on the bed next to him. "Listen, buddy, I'm going to go back home and get a shower. But I'll be back in the morning with some of your clothes and I'll even sneak in your computer so you can play games and stuff."

"Thanks dad!" Lucas hugged him and Nathan stood up towards the door. "And dad…" Nathan looked back. "Promise me we're going to get mom back. I hope she's allright."

Nathan smiled weakly. "I promise son…I miss her too. And you know she's a strong woman, your mother."

"I know. I just want her home with us."

"You an me both, kiddo. Now get some sleep."

Nathan went home and took a shower. By 8pm, the three people from his crew who could make it that night were there. Jonathan, Katie, and Ben hugged their captain as they walked in, asking him how he was and how Lucas was doing. They all knew what was going on and they wanted to console their dear friend.

"Listen guys, the reason I called you over is not to console me, although I really appreciate it. I called you because I need your help. I need to get Kristin back, but I need to feel like I've got my crew with me. The UEO knew all about this and didn't tell me what was going on and now Lucas is the one paying for it." He paused. "Kristin is the one paying for it."

"Hey, cap. You know you can count on us whenever you need us. We love your family. And we'll do whatever it takes to bring her back." Katie stepped in, saying what was going on through all of their minds.

"Thank you my friends. Although to be honest, I have no idea where to start. The UEO says they know the location, but they're right. It's far too dangerous to barge in. I don't know if you've heard of our friend, Sinclair."

"Heard of him? Captain, the man is infamous in UEO training. He's terrifying." Krieg called in.

"Yes, I know. I found out more about him than I care to know."

Suddenly, a vidphone ring sounded throughout the room. Nathan walked over to the caller id and saw that it was "unknown."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 6:

Nathan knew once he saw the caller id that it had to be Sinclair.

"It's him. Please let me do all the talking."

Everyone else nodded and Nathan pressed the receive button. The screen turned on and everyone in the room stood in shock at the scene before them. Kristin was laying unconscious on an examination table across the screen. Nathan stared at her, realizing how much he truly missed her, and how beautiful she was even though she was strapped down by her arms and legs. She had various wires attached to her arms, chest and legs, which connected to a separate machine. This was similar to a heart monitor, except it also had a voltage meter attached to it. Before any of the crew could decipher what was going on, Sinclair walked into view behind Kristin.

"Why hello, Bridger. So, you've made it back home. And you already have a welcome party to greet you, I see."

Nathan hesitated for a second, trying to ignore those words, and feeling frustrated.

"Shut up, Sinclair. You've caused enough trouble already."

"Oh my, Nathan. Aren't we touchy? I simply wanted to know how your boy was doing. I hope we didn't bruise him too badly," he sarcastically spit out and chuckled. He looked at the crew and then at Nathan with a disappointed face. "I do hope you're not planning some sort of rescue party. I would really hate to do something drastic, like hurting my beloved Kristin, in order to stop you." He gently caressed Kristin's hair as he spoke.

"What are you doing to her? Why is she strapped down?" Nathan was confused and worried.

"Well, let's just say she's been less than compliant"

Nathan and the crew smiled inwardly as they all knew of Kristin's fiery spirit. She would never give up without a fight. Sinclair sensed this and quickly continued.

"I do not take kindly to disobedience. She must realize that her actions cannot go unpunished. She will learn she is mine. And you will be the one to tell her." With that last sentence he smiled at Nathan, knowing how much it hurt him to hear those words. He looked horrified.

"I can't do that, Sinclair. I can't and I won't."

"I knew you would say that. Which is why I set up this lovely device in order to make it a little easier for all of you to comply." He pulled out a small remote control from his pocket. "You see, every time I press this button, Kristin receives an electric shock. It's very painful, I assure you. If you don't do as I say, I will not hesitate to press this button."

The room went silent as Nathan shook his head in disbelief. He slowly turned his head down in acknowledgment, and faced Sinclair with a resigned look.

"All right, Sinclair. I'll do whatever you want."

Sinclair smiled, knowing he had so much control over the UEO's golden boy.

"Well, why don't we wake up our guest of honor, then, shall we?"

With that he pressed the button on the remote. Everyone in Nathan's house stood frozen, some covering their mouths in horror, as Kristin's body was shocked and she lifted about half a foot of the bed. Her shriek of pain was the only sound. Nathan's cry was lost as a whisper as he called out her name, hoping to soothe her pain. The shocks stopped after about five seconds and Kristin gasped for air as her body recovered. Her face had contorted in pain and she slowly opened her eyes and regained consciousness, taking deep breaths and feeling nauseous.

"Welcome back, my dear. I have someone here who wants to talk to you." He spoke to her as if nothing had happened...as if he were talking to a small child. Kristin tuned her head over to the vidphone and forced a smile as soon as she saw Nathan.

"Nathan...Lucas?" She called weakly.

Jonathan, Katie and Ben were holding back their tears, but none of them could stop a few from escaping as they witnessed the horrible scene. Nathan choked out.

"Kristin, sweetie. Lucas is going to be fine. Are you all right?"

"I'm okay." Her words were barely a whisper.

At that point, Sinclair interrupted.

"That will be enough. Now for the real reason I'm letting you talk to her, Bridger."

Nathan hesitated, loathing this man more than ever before. He was forcing himself to say those words.

"Kristin...I...I need you to do whatever Sinclair says." He was sobbing a bit at this point, unable to stop some tears. "Sweetheart, I can't...I can't bare to see you get hurt...please...promise me Kristin...promise me you'll behave!"

He wanted her to listen to him, but he wished she wouldn't. Who knew what this man asked of her. Kristin was too strong to let anything happen to her without her consent. She didn't deserve that. And to have to tell her to comply was heartbreaking. Nathan knew she wouldn't listen, and he was grateful for that. But he had to convince Sinclair he was playing along. They both had to convince him he was winning. Kristin knew she wouldn't ever be under Sinclair's complete control. And she knew Sinclair had forced Nathan to tell her to behave.

"I promise, Nathan." She took in a deep breath. "But know that I will always love you...no matter what he does to me...just...take care of Lucas...and yourself."

Sinclair looked rather pleased with himself. This little vidphone chat was going better than he expected. Now Kristin knew she should comply with his requests or suffer the consequences...and have Nathan suffer by watching her. And Bridger wouldn't dare try and save Kristin, or she would be tortured for sure. Sinclair knew he had the upper hand.

"Well, this is all rather touching, but I'm afraid Kristin needs to get her rest for tomorrow. She's had a very rough day. Say good night and goodbye, sweetheart." He took a nearby cloth and placed it over her nose and mouth before she had a chance to react. Within seconds, she passed out from both the chloroform and the exhaustion of the shocks.

Sinclair looked off the screen to his men. "Take her to my quarters. I will be the first and only person she sees when she wakes up." He glanced mischievously at Nathan, who was sickened by all of this. His legs were barely holding him up. Four men walked on screen and unhooked and untied Kristin from the table. One of them swung her over his shoulder and walked away. Sinclair looked back at the screen.

"Don't bother tracing this call, Bridger. And don't even think about trying to find your way back here. There's no way you'll get her back. She's mine. Not even the SeaQuest is enough to save her now." He chuckled as he continued. "I can't wait to get back to my room and find her, helpless, on my bed. Now that she has experienced what it's like to disobey me, I feel she will be more...accepting...of my advances. I only wish you could see the look on her face when she wakes up with me. But I'll leave that to your imagination...or maybe I'll tape it...and force you to watch it." He laughed mischievously. "Goodbye, Nathan. Say hello to your son for me...and let him know he'll never see his mother again."

With that he briskly cut off the connection, leaving Nathan to collapse on his knees in despair. The whole gang was finding it hard to stay strong in that situation. Nathan collected himself after a few seconds and got up, wiping his face and taking a deep breath.

"All right guys. We have work to do. We are not giving up without a fight. We're getting her back."

Jonathan, Katie, and Ben all nodded. Katie spoke up on behalf of all of them, wiping the last of her tears.

"She's going to be fine, you know. We need to be strong for her. Whatever you need, Captain. We're here for you."

Nathan smiled briefly, thankful to have such wonderful, loyal friends.


	8. Chapter 8

Hi everyone,

So I've been slacking on this story that I know I said I would finish. A lot has happened in my life and I have since changed jobs, moved and gotten married. Still, this story stayed in the back of my mind and I even tried to login to update not too long ago but my pen name e-mail account had been deactivated. That is taken care of and I'm hoping to be back and work on this in my free time. If you were a fan of this story, thanks again for your feedback and I am so sorry for leaving you hanging! I love fanfic and it always upset me when I got into a good story but then was left waiting for an ending! I didn't think I would end up doing that….

Anyway, without further ado, I hope to be back and able to complete my story and work on a few more I have in the back burner.

Hope you enjoy! And please please please review and write feedback. You can even e-mail with your suggestions and challenges and wishes for stories. I am not a professional writer, but I do enjoy reading and writing stories about characters I care about…

Thanks and Happy 2011!


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 7:

Nathan excused himself to his bedroom and shut the door behind him. He quickly dialed a familiar number.

"Bill, if you knew where he was all this time why didn't you stop him earlier?" Nathan couldn't hold back his anger as he tried to shake the last image in his head of Kristin being shocked and drugged. Bill Noyce looked at his friend and could see the pain evident in his eyes. Nathan told him enough of what happened during their last encounter with Sinclair to imagine what he must be going through.

"Nathan, you and I know we can't just go barging in this man's house without knowing what he's capable of. He has powerful friends and has been dealing with many of them very recently. I know it's been a rough couple of days, but I just received some welcomed news that I think might be the break we've been looking for …as far as I know, Sinclair is having a get together tomorrow night. He's planning something big, Nathan…real big. Our source tells us he's put out a general call to entice some of the wealthiest criminals and drug lords to join him. Interestingly enough, it's meant to be a fancy cocktail party and no weapons will be allowed. He wants to showcase something and he intends to brag and pull out all the stops. No doubt he will have his place armed to the tee, but it will be a _who's who_ of the UEO's Most Wanted. "

"Well, then you'd better believe we need to crash this little party…this may be our best chance to save her and capture Sinclair once and for all!" Nathan could barely contain the mixed emotions in his voice knowing there was a way to put an end to all of this.

"It's not that simple. I'm sure Sinclair won't open his doors to just anyone. We've already got a top notch team together to reign him in along with every other ratbag that will be present. We've even got the FBI on this. Our liaison might be able to sneak you in somehow…but even if we were able to get you in, you think he and his goons wouldn't recognize you?

"I think we have enough resources to disguise ourselves. That is, if my crew is willing. Besides…not all of us have to be in the spotlight…I'm sure there's a back way of getting in. I have to make sure Kristin is out of the way if anything happens."

"Very well, Nathan. Talk to your crew. I can have you picked up in the morning and we will bring you to meet the team so you can coordinate and get the proper equipment. In the meantime, you need to get some rest. It will not do you or Kristin any good if you barge in there exhausted as hell. Promise me you'll get some sleep."

"Fine. I'll try. It's just…"

"I know, Nathan. I know. We all care for her and we'll put an end to all of this soon. Have faith, my friend. Our source has let us know he is aware of her and will do everything he can to protect her while she's there."

Nathan breathed a heavy sigh, knowing that after seeing her tied and at the mercy of this madman it was a long shot if this source was able to do anything to stop Sinclair, but still he appreciated the reassurance.

"Thanks, Bill."

With that, he shut his vidscreen and turned to address his crew. At least there was a game plan. He was particularly grateful that everyone volunteered towards the efforts and were willing to put their lives on the line to save Kristin and capture some of the world's most villainous scum. They all left and planned to return in the morning for their UEO pickup. Nathan called the hospital and, after verifying that Lucas was fast asleep on meds and recovering well, he was able to try and get some rest. It wouldn't be long before he saw Kristin again and got her out of this mess. Why did it have to be her? Why couldn't the UEO see this coming and stop it sooner? It's going to be okay, sweetheart…we're going to get you out of there. With those thoughts he drifted off into sleep.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 8:

Meanwhile in Sinclair's castle…

Joseph McNeely gently placed Kristin in the comfortable bed back in the room she was in before. She was out cold from the exhaustion and chloroform to which she had been subjected. He couldn't help but feel sorry for her and wish he had been able to stop Sinclair from inflicting so much pain on her. It was also hard to see Nathan Bridger, the head of the SeaQuest, a man who was always so composed and in control, go through this psychological torture. He could only hope that the UEO was able to pull off stopping Sinclair tomorrow. His job had so far been successful and he had gone by undetected. For now, his focus was on making sure Kristin was able to get some rest so she would be ready to hopefully reunite with her family. He had to convince Sinclair to leave her alone. The man was insane and would surely demand that Kristin be ready for him. Not if he had any say in it.

As if on cue, Sinclair walked in the room.

"You! I thought I told you to take her to my quarters!" Sinclair was not pleased.

"Sir, I understand that, but she is completely exhausted and is out cold. She needs to get some rest. Don't you think you should be focusing on your big reveal tomorrow? The men are in the preparation room getting everything ready. I assume you want her 100% ready for you tomorrow so she can put on a good show for you and all your guests. It's best to have a little patience."

Sinclair seemed to lighten up a bit.

"I am getting tired of waiting for my prize. But I suppose you are right. It's not like she can go anywhere. I should be revising my plans for tomorrow. Make sure she has everything she needs for when she wakes up. And meet us in the prep room when you are finished."

With that, Sinclair walked to the prep room and met with his group of men. McNeely looked at Kristin one more time and breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Kristin slowly began to open her eyes and then shot straight up in a sitting position.

"Nathan!" She looked terrified and immediately regretted the move to sit up, quickly lying back down in pain.

"Shhhh….Mrs. Bridger. It's me, Joseph McNeely. You're allright. You're back in your room and Sinclair has left for the night."

"Oh, thank God. I can't believe what that madman just did! Poor Nathan had to stand there and watch…."

"I know…I know. And I am so sorry I wasn't able to stop him. But there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Mrs. Bridger, you must know that the UEO is on their way and will be here tomorrow night. Sinclair is planning a very organized party of sorts for some of the most ruthless men on this Earth. He intends to unveil his plan of attack on the UEO with the help of these murderers and thieves. You must understand how important it is for Sinclair to think he has your complete and utter cooperation until the UEO can reach us and infiltrate the premises. This should all be over tomorrow night."

It took a few moments for the words to sink in, not just because she was exhausted, but because she was truly breathing an internal sigh of relief. She slowly nodded her head and a single tear fell from her eye.

"I can do that. If it means your men can make it here safely, I will do what I can to keep Sinclair and his men distracted. I can't wait for this nightmare to end."

"I know Mrs. Bridger. This has been a long time coming. Just be sure to stay safe, whatever you do. I will do what I can to protect you."

"Thank you once again, Mr. McNeely."

"You can call me Joseph. I must go now. I've left you some medical supplies, clothing and some food and water. Make sure you get plenty of rest for tomorrow."

Kristin nodded her head. With that, McNeely left the room. Kristin grabbed a few bites of food and tended to her scars from the shock. Thankfully, they weren't too bad, but they were sure to leave a bruise. She took some pain medication and went to bed. At least it was comfortable. How was she going to do this? She was so grateful that the UEO was on their way. They had to be. Nathan must be with them….Nathan. With that, she slowly drifted to much-needed sleep.

After a few hours of going over the plans, Sinclair was ready to call it a night. It would be a big day tomorrow.

"Allright, men. Tomorrow night we shall have the company of some of the most brilliant and scheming minds on the planet. I demand that all of you make them feel welcomed and see to it that no one ruins my unveiling. With their alliance, the UEO will not be able to stop us!"


	11. Chapter 11

Nathan looked around at the room full of the UEO's finest. Some of them looked like they were just barely out of training, but he could tell they had a game plan and were ready for anything that came their way. Even his own crew, Jonathan, Katie, Krieg, Tim, Crocker...they all looked determined to stop this mad man. There must have been at least one hundred men assigned to this job. The UEO was certainly taking every precaution to make sure things went smoothly. The head of the team went through the latest information, including a fairly detailed map of the inside of the castle that they received from the informant. Whoever this guy was, Nathan would be sure to thank him for putting his life in danger in order to put a stop to this. Mostly he was grateful for the update that Kristin was all right and resting peacefully after what she just went through. He didn't know if he could handle not knowing what happened after that horrible conversation with Sinclair. The man clearly had every intention for psychological torture. Even if he may not have followed through with it, he certainly enjoyed what he was doing, playing with Nathan's mind.

The team went over the map and decided different posts. They were all meant to attack on command depending on how the situation unfolded. They laid out locations for different people to man in the party area as well as target several of Sinclair's patrolmen on the outside. They collected their hidden weapons and some of the front runners who were undercover as attendees to the party dressed in fancy attire. Under normal circumstances, Nathan thought, it would seen they were all going to an elegant fundraiser of some sort. Even Hitchcock glammed it up as she posed as Krieg's drug lord girlfriend. The dress she wore was just long enough to hide the gun that was strapped to her upper thigh and the low cut of the shimmery red dress left very little to the imagination.

They loaded up in several trucks and headed towards Sinclair's castle. Some of the soldiers even took off in silent helicopters.

On the way there, Nathan looked at his watch. It was 1:00pm. This alleged party was to start at around 6. Nathan quickly shut his eyes and tried to squeeze in a short nap in preparation. He was sure to be recognized by Sinclair no matter how good his disguise was. That was why he opted to attack one of the patrolmen and watch from overhead to make sure things went smoothly. He also wanted to keep an eye on Kristin and be ready to grab her in case things took a turn for the worse.

Back in Sinclair's castle...

Kristin awoke after sleeping for what felt like 16 hours. She really needed the rest and she felt much better. She got up and took a long shower. As she dried her hair she felt her stomach grumble. Surely Sinclair wouldn't let her starve to death. She applied a bit of makeup and put on a comfortable white shirt and jeans. She breathed in heavily and opened the door to her room. There was a guard there, obviously making sure she wouldn't try escaping once again.

"Excuse me, but might I have something to eat?"

"I'll let Sinclair know you are ready for a meal."

He grabbed his walkie talkie and talked into it. "Sir, she is awake and ready to have a meal." Kristin heard Sinclair's reply. "Very well, escort her down to the dining room. I'll meet you there."

Kristin followed the guard down to the dining room and had a seat at the table. Sinclair walked in only moments later.

"Kristin! How are you feeling today, my sweet?" he gently reached for her hand and kissed the top of it as if he were nothing but a true gentleman.

"I'm much better. I…I understand why you did it, Sinclair. I realize now that there really is nothing I can do. And I certainly don't want you to torture me, my family or my friends any longer. I have given up trying to fight you. I can't bear to be in any more pain. Not physically or emotionally. I can't stand it. Please don't hurt me anymore and I can be more willing. I won't try to escape again and I will try to make the best of this situation." Kristin forced a tear to escape her eyes and looked down at the floor for dramatic effect. Sinclair reached his hand out to cup her chin and face her towards him.

"Kristin I am so glad you see things my way now. I didn't want to have to hurt you either and I do apologize for the pain I've caused you. But we can put that behind us now. No more games, no more having to force you to behave. Tonight, we have company and I want to have you by my side so I can show you off to our new friends. Come now, you must be famished."

Kristin nodded quietly and Sinclair ordered the staff to bring them some food. After the meal, Sinclair mentioned the night's activities.

"Kristin, in a few hours we will be joined by some new friends. I want to introduce you to all of them and I would appreciate you looking and behaving your best. If there is anything at all that you need, please don't hesitate to ask."

"All right, Sinclair. You win."

Sinclair looked a little skeptical that she was so willing, but he didn't want to question it. "Excellent. I have some things I need to tend to before everyone arrives. In the meantime, I have asked my men to place some books and magazines in your room so you have something to keep yourself occupied until tonight. If you behave, I'll reward you with more freedoms."

"Thank you, Sinclair."

"Please, my pet. Call me Niles."

She nodded.

"Niles."

"Good. I will see you later, looking stunning as always, I am sure." he leaned into her and kissed her cheek. She held back the urge to slap him. With that, the guard escorted her back to her room. Kristin looked at the selection of magazines...at least one if them was a science magazine. She browsed through it to keep occupied but her mind kept drifting. She only hoped that Nathan and the rest of the UEO were able to make it on time and pull off this raid. They had better be careful. Who knows what Sinclair was fully up to? Surely he would be prepared to deal with anyone who tried sneaking in. How were they going to make it? McNeely's reassuring words were her only hope.


	12. Chapter 12

Nathan woke up to the announcement that they were within 30 miles of the castle and would be stopping very soon. Once they got there, they went over the plan one last time, making sure everyone knew their posts. They all secured their hidden weapons and readjusted their disguises. Krieg looked over at Nathan, who seemed preoccupied.

"Sir…we're going to get her back safely."

Nathan smiled briefly. "I know, Ben. And I want to reiterate to all of you how grateful I am that you are here and willing to do this."

Hitchcock spoke up. "There is no need to thank us yet. It's unthinkable what this man has done and is capable of. He's trying to destroy the world and he's already destroyed your family. You've always been there for us. Kristin has always been there for us. This man caused Lucas all those horrible bruises. He needs to be stopped. This is something we need to do. For you, for Kristin, for Lucas….for the world."

"She's right, Cap." Crocker chimed in. "We're going to give it our all. And with all the FBI and UEO members on this team, we won't let this son of a bitch hurt Kristin or anyone else ever again."

"Thank you, guys. Okay, looks like it's game time."

The trucks came to a stop just short of the main castle at their assigned stakeout spots. The silent helicopters dropped people all around the perimeter far enough away to be undetected. They started making their way to their posts, waiting for the signal.

Meanwhile at the castle:

The main hall in the castle had been redecorated as if for a fancy cocktail party. There were flowers everywhere, butlers walking around with drinks, food buffets, elegant lighting and several tables covered in ornate white tablecloths. Several guests had arrived and were standing around talking with each other. At first glance, it would seem this was a fancy and festive celebration among friends. No one would ever guess these people were ruthless drug lords, criminals and murderers. They did clean up nicely. Most of the guests were men and they brought along good looking women, who were no doubt being paid to be escorts. Sinclair chatted with them as if they were old friends, but he was not as familiar with these other criminals. His open call had certainly generated interest in the community and he looked forward to having these men join his army.

A couple walked over to Sinclair and introduced themselves.

"Señor Sinclair. It is an honor to finally meet you." He spoke with an interesting accent. Perhaps he was from South America. Sinclair noticed his partner was rather attractive. Much classier than the other two bit whores the other men were with. The red dress she wore was very flattering for her figure…and what a figure, Sinclair thought.

"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Esteban Ramirez and this is my lovely woman, Katerina."

Katie smiled at Sinclair, withholding the fear and hatred for this man as best as she could as she extended her hand to the man who currently held her friend captive.

"Charmed, Miss Katerina. Señor Esteban. Thank you for joining me in my mission. I trust you find this to be a most welcoming affair."

"Absolutely, señor. I am sure it is worth our trip and investment to hear what your proposition is, no?"

"I assure you, Mr. Ramirez, what I have planned will need your full cooperation and investment, but the reward will be most enticing."

"I cannot wait to hear it." Krieg was surprised at how convincing his accent was. He had used his accent before to try and pick up women and knew it was good, but sometimes he'd let it slip, which resulted in his getting slapped more than a few times. Katie and Krieg charmed Sinclair for a few minutes before he excused himself looked at his watch. He motioned to one of his men to come over.

"You, go make sure Kristin is ready and escort her down here. I have some people I want to show her off to."

"Yes, sir." The guard left and went upstairs to find Kristin.


	13. Chapter 13

Kristin was in her room finishing up getting ready. She zipped up the long sleeveless, lacy black gown with a plunging neckline that accentuated the necklace that Sinclair had given her…the one he put on her that night when….well, there was no sense in thinking about that…she had to remember to thank McNeely once again for interrupting. She was so grateful for her guardian angel in this horrid place. She held the large pendant in her hand. If all went to plan, tonight would be the last night she would have to deal with him and she would soon be back in Nathan's arms….back to hugging Lucas. She wondered how Lucas was, imagined him sleeping innocently in a hospital bed. At least he was safe and looked after. She finished applying her makeup and brushing her hair back into a loose bun. She found a diamond broche and pinned it to the side. She heard a knock at the door.

"Miss Kristin, Sinclair wishes for you to come downstairs. Are you ready?"

"Yes, just one moment. I'll be right outside."

With that, she took one last glimpse in the mirror. "You can do this." she whispered to herself. She took a deep breath and walked out the door, escorted by an unknown guard. As they approached the stairs to the main hall, she heard many voices…some of Sinclair's rich criminal friends, no doubt. It was sickening to know what was about to happen. She was about to be surrounded by some very evil men…men who would love to get their hands on all the power in the world. She only hoped the UEO was ready to stop them. She noticed Sinclair look up at her and smile wickedly. He quickly ran up the stairs and stood by her, dismissing the guard that had been her escort. Katie elbowed Krieg gently to look up at the stairs.

"There's Kristin!" She whispered.

"Oh my God." The reality of the situation sunk in the moment they saw Kristin.

Sinclair leaned in to whisper in Kristin's ear. "My dear, you look absolutely ravishing." He looked down at her plunging neckline and reached for the necklace. "I see you're wearing the necklace I gave you. Excellent." He let his hand slowly caress its way down along her neckline and down to wrap around her waist. "You look beautiful, my pet. If you behave and don't fight me as I introduce you to everyone, I promise to reward you with many freedoms. But if you try to escape or show any sign against me, I can assure you I will not hesitate to cause you extreme pain. I do hope it won't come to that, my sweet. It is completely up to you. What do you say?"

"Sinclair, I told you I was open to be more…willing. I will not fight you. And perhaps I can even force myself to learn to…love you."

"You have no idea how happy I am to hear you say those words. Come with me. I cannot wait to show you off….and to devour you tonight." He nuzzled her neck and worked his way to her lips. She didn't fight it. Krieg and Katie saw this.

"Man, she must be having a hard time not pushing him away." Katie noted, disgust evident in her face.

"Yeah, I wonder if she knows we're here." Krieg looked at Katie. She didn't know what the answer was and shrugged her shoulders.

Sinclair finished kissing Kristin and was pleased she was warming up to him. He reached out his arm and she hooked hers in his. He walked her down the stairs and walked over to Krieg and Katie.

"Mr. Esteban, Miss Katerina, I'd like for you to meet Kristin."

Kristin immediately recognized Krieg and Katie and fought against her gasp for breath in mixed surprise and relief. "Pleased to meet you." She reached out her hand, which Krieg immediately took like a gentleman.

"Señora, the pleasure is mine." He kissed the top of her hand. Okay, so Krieg has a Spanish accent now? And his name is Esteban. She felt immediately secure knowing her friends were here.

"Katerina, what a lovely name." Kristin extended her hand to Katie.

"Thank you, ma'am." Katie shook her hand and smiled.

Sinclair interrupted. "Well, my dear, why don't we say hello to everyone else. Señor Esteban, Katerina, we shall meet up soon. I will be making my announcements shortly."

"As you wish, Sinclair. Thank you for your hospitality. I look forward to your plans."

With that, Sinclair ushered Kristin to a few other men and their mistresses. Krieg and Katie looked at each other. "Well, I think she knew something was up, but I don't think she was expecting us."

Kristin noticed Crocker, Ford, and Tim among the many "scum" she was waiting to meet. It was really hard to pretend to not know them, but she did feel much safer knowing they were there. But, where was Nathan?

***Thank you so much for reading this! I hope you are enjoying it! Please review! I love hearing feedback and I get motivated to write more/faster when I know people are waiting for more. Also, please feel free to send me a private message if you have any constructive criticism or you'd like to suggest ideas for this or other stories! Thank you! ***


	14. Chapter 14

Nathan was standing at his post on the third floor, hiding behind a wall ready to take over one of Sinclair's guards who was keeping watch. It was relatively dark in that area. He looked behind the wall and noticed the guard was looking away. He grabbed his stun gun and quickly whisked over to the guard and stunned him before he could make a sound. The guard instantly dropped to the floor unconscious. Nathan looked around and made sure no one else noticed. He looked over the railing and noted the scene below. There were about one hundred people having what would be, under normal circumstances, a festive party. However, he knew the evil intent behind this get together. Worst of all, he knew Kristin was down there somewhere. He only hoped she would see the rest of the gang and know she was safe. He looked around and quickly found what he was looking for.

Kristin and Sinclair had been talking to several potential "investors" at the party. Nathan's heart skipped a beat when he saw Kristin. She looked amazing and completely composed. He was shocked to see her mingling so well and smiling with all of the guests. If he didn't know any better, he would think she and Sinclair were close lovers, the way she let him put his arms around her and plant kisses on her cheek and the random glances at each other. Nathan knew this must be difficult for her. He knew she must know something was going on tonight. Even though he realized their last conversation had him telling her to acquiesce to Sinclair, he knew she would never do that. Yes, she must know. He wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms and bring her home as soon as possible. It was hard to see her accepting Sinclair's advances so willingly.

Nathan slowly walked over to the other side of the floor and noticed another guard headed that way. He quickly hid himself against the wall and waited for the guard to walk past. He immediately subdued the guard from behind, knocking him out cold with a fist to the face. He looked back at where he was before and noticed another UEO team member show up and give him a thumbs up after noticing the coast was clear. Nathan took another look over the railing. He hoped no one in the team would be found out. Surely Kristin

Kristin and Sinclair were certainly meeting lots of new people. Sinclair was surprised at the number of people who showed up that he hadn't heard of, but he was glad to have interested investors that were willing to join his army. He was especially pleased that Kristin was being agreeable. He had to admit he was a little suspicious, but perhaps she was genuinely realizing her situation was futile and forcing herself to accept it. Either way, Sinclair was excited to have her be so willing.

"My pet," he whispered, "let us have a seat and enjoy a meal before my big unveiling."

"Of course, Niles. Whatever you'd like." She smiled at him.

They took a seat and were brought a meal. Katie and Krieg sat down and joined them.

"Mr. Sinclair, I was wondering how a man of your….fame…was able to deceive the world with such a unique suicide attempt. The whole thing seems brilliant!"

Sinclair smiled smugly.

"Well, Mr. Esteban. I simply gave the UEO a reason to stop following me. It takes a lot of brains and man power to fake a suicide. You especially need a credible replacement, if you catch my drift." He laughed a little at that detail and Krieg forced a laugh along with him.

"Yes, señor. I understand. I must try this approach. It might finally get the _policías_ back home off my back. You are as brilliant as they say."

"Well, thank you, sir. Perhaps we can come up with some sort of arrangement. I could help you tremendously with your situation. And I'm sure you would be able to help me with mine."

"Absolutely. I did not travel so many miles to leave home empty handed/"

"Wonderful. Well, if you'll excuse me, I think it's time for my presentation."

"Of course. Of course." Sinclair got out of his chair, shook Krieg and Katie's hand, and leaned over Kristin's shoulder.

"Shall we, my pet?" Krieg interrupted before Kristin could answer.

"Señor, she has not yet finished her meal. Please, we do so enjoy her company and I would like to know more about this delicate flower you have acquired. You are truly the envy of every man in this room."

Krieg was proud of his accent and his attempt to cover up any history with Kristin and was hoping Sinclair would let Kristin stay at the table. Sinclair looked at him, a bit annoyed that he would make a suggestion, and somewhat suspicious of this man's intentions, but he nodded.

"Very well." He then whispered in Kristin's ear…"You best behave yourself around our new friends. I will call for you shortly."

With that he gave her a passionate kiss and walked away. Nathan saw the whole interchange and, while he was glad they were keeping up appearances, his heart sank at the thought of Kristin allowing another man to kiss her like that. She must hate being so submissive. God, what a strong woman to put up with all of this. "Hang in there, Kris. I'm here. It'll all be over soon," he whispered under his breath.


	15. Chapter 15

Kristin looked at Krieg and Katie and whispered to them.

"Oh thank God, I am so glad to see you here. Where's Nathan?"

Katie spoke up. "Kristin, we've got this entire place infiltrated. Bridger…Nathan…should be upstairs on the third floor keeping watch. Kristin, we are so incredibly proud of you and everyone needs to keep in character for a little longer. The UEO will give us all a command when they're ready to attack."

Kristin breathed a sigh of relief. She subconsciously looked up, trying to see if she could spot Nathan on the third floor, but it was too dark.

"I have to go see him."

"Kristin, please, don't do anything to let Sinclair know we're here. I'm sure he and his men are watching you like a hawk."

Kristin nodded unwillingly. She was scared. What if they were found out? Sinclair would surely kill them all. She quickly glanced around and saw there were, in fact, several men watching her. She couldn't see Sinclair, though. He must have gone back to that room…there were so many weapons and blueprints. He was up to something. It's why he was having this little…get together. He needed investors and more men to pull of this little stunt…and she was caught in the middle. She couldn't wait for this to be over.

"You're right. I just can't wait to be rid of this…nightmare. I was so grateful to know McNeely was here."

"McNeely, is that the undercover agent?"

"Yes, he watched over me and made sure I was okay when Sinclair tried to….well, let's just say he was more than enthusiastic to have me here." Katie and Ben nodded. "And then that little episode with the shock…well, McNeely made sure I had plenty of rest and medical supplies afterward. I wouldn't have made it without him. "

"Yeah, he's the reason we know where this place is and what to do. We're so glad you're okay, Kris." Katie offered.

"I suppose so. I just hope everything goes well. I can't stand anyone getting hurt because of me. I worry every moment about Lucas and Nathan. I don't know what Sinclair is capable of. I've been so scared, Katie. I almost lost hope."

"Well, rest assured, Lucas is on the mend. And Nathan is here with us right now. He insisted on watching to make sure you were safe. We all love you Kristin. We're gonna get you out of this and the UEO will not let Sinclair get away this time." Katie tried to be reassuring.

Kristin smiled nervously. "Thank you."

At that moment, one of the guards walked over and stood next to Kristin.

"Excuse me, Miss Kristin, Sinclair wishes you to join him before the big unveiling which will happen in a few minutes."

"Yes, of course. But first, would I be able to go up to my room and freshen up a bit?"

"I don't see why that would be a problem. I'm sure Sinclair would want you to look your best."

'Wonderful. Excuse me, Mr. Esteban, Miss Katerina."

"It was a pleasure sharing this meal with you, señora. We look forward to Sinclair's announcement."

With that, Kristin walked off towards the stairs, escorted by the unnamed guard. The moment they got to the door, Kristin walked in and the guard stayed just outside with the door open. Kristin walked into the bathroom and quickly thought of a way to get rid of the guard. She was a little unnerved by the way the guard was looking at her on the way to her room, almost as if he was glad to be alone with her. Very sleazy, indeed. This might work to her advantage. She leaned out the partially open bathroom door and yelled to the guard.

"Excuse me, would you mind helping me with this zipper? I cannot for the life of me get this to come back up." She gave the guard a brief glimpse of her bare back the door and smiled over her shoulder at him. The guard did not hesitate in the slightest.

"Yes, ma'am. I always thought it was a shame for Sinclair to keep you all to himself." His greedy hands reached for her zipper but it was clear something else was on his mind. At that moment, Kristin quickly turned around and swung the hair dryer she was hiding right at the guard's head. In an instant, he slumped to the floor unconscious. She quickly jumped over him and made a run for the stairs. She quickly went up to the third floor and looked around. No sign of anyone. She cautiously walked around the rail, until she heard a whisper.

"Kristin." Nathan slowly appeared from a dark hallway. Kristin immediately ran into his arms, absolutely relieved for the first time in the last few days. He grabbed her face in his hands and gave her a much needed passionate kiss. Neither one of them could control the few tears that were escaping their eyes. Nathan circled his arms around her and placed his chin on her head as she nuzzled against him.

"Kristin, sweetheart. I'm so glad you're allright. I cannot imagine what this is doing to you. I love you so much!"

"Oh Nathan. I love you too! I was beginning to lose hope. And then McNeely showed up and told me you were on your way and then I saw Ben and Katie and Jonathan and…oh my God I'm so glad you're here."

She tightened her hold on him, never wanting to let go. Nathan quickly shifted her to arm's length, holding her by the shoulders. He seemed a little panicked.

"Kris, weren't you being escorted? Where's your guard?"

"I…I subdued him so I could come find you."

"Kris, I am so happy to see you and hold you, but we can't let on that you are trying to escape or that we are here."

Kristin looked down, the realization hitting her immediately. "You're absolutely right. I shouldn't have done that."

"It's okay sweetie. I'm so proud that you were able to subdue a guard! Just make sure he is still out cold. I'm watching over you. I just need to keep hidden until the UEO decides to attack. We're all wired. I hate to even say this and I wish I could just take you with me right now, but you need to keep playing along with Sinclair for just a while longer. We can't arouse any suspicion."

"I know. I'm just so relieved you're all here. Be careful, Nathan."

He kissed her passionately.

"Okay, go. I'll see you soon."

Kristin ran back down to her room. Luckily, the guard was still unconscious. She quickly checked herself in the mirror and started to walk back to the door. McNeely was waiting for her just outside the door.

"There you are. Sinclair has been asking for you. I told him I'd come check on you."

He noticed the guard passed out near the bathroom door.

"What the hell happened? Did you knock him out?"

"I…I found out Nathan was upstairs…I had to go see him. I figured if I knocked him out, I could quickly go upstairs."

"Wow. Okay. Well it's good to know the UEO is here. But we can't let Sinclair know you knocked one of his men out. Allow me."

McNeely walked over to the bathroom door and took something out of his pocket that looked like a gun. He charged it up and shot it right at the guard, whose body moved instantly and then went limp.

"What was that?" Kristin was a bit shocked at what McNeely had just done.

"I had to make sure he won't wake up for a while. This will knock him out for at least another 6 hours. Sinclair has us carry these in order to…well, to make sure you don't escape and neither does anyone else who tries to go against him."

"I see."

"Now come on, Sinclair doesn't like to wait, as you know."

They walked back downstairs. By this time, there were several tables and what seemed like presentation screens covered in cloth, clearly hiding what was part of Sinclair's plan. McNeely led her to the side, where Sinclair was there with several of his men.

"Ah, there you are my sweet. I thought you had tried to escape and you know how much I hate that." He sounded condescending.

"Sir, I found James trying to get a little frisky with her back in her room. I had to stop him so I used our stunner." McNeely was quick to come up with a story.

"Is that so?"

"Yes, Niles. It was so dreadful!" Kristin played the part beautifully. "I simply asked to freshen up so I could look my best for your unveiling and he just started taking advantage of me. I couldn't fight him off, he was so strong. He said it was a shame you were trying to keep me for yourself." Kristin figured she wasn't completely lying.

"There, there, my pet. I'll make sure no one ever touches you again except for me. He will pay dearly for his betrayal." Sinclair hugged Kristin and then put his hand on her cheek. "You're safe now. And you look wonderful for my unveiling. Everything is going to plan. Now, shall we get this going? I think we've kept our guests waiting long enough."

Kristin nodded. "Of course, Niles. I'll be allright. Please, do go on."

Sinclair walked to the center of the makeshift stage among the covered screens and tables, ready to make his big speech. Nathan was watching from overhead, as was the rest of the UEO team. It was getting closer to attack time, they thought.


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: Sorry this is taking me a while to complete. I'm getting there and also have a few other ideas for stories in mind. As always, please read and review. It is very encouraging to hear if people are actually reading and enjoying my work. Makes me want to update sooner Thanks!

Sinclair made sure to be at the center of the presentation.

"Everyone! May I have your attention! I'd like to thank all of you for traveling all this way to come and join my army. I assure you what I have planned is enough to take over the entire UEO, especially it's star ship, the SeaQuest DSV. As you all know, I was meant to be next in line to captain the ship. I was the UEO's golden boy…a hard working, straight shooter who was ready to captain the world's peacekeeping research and exploration vessel. But as we all know, being a hard working, straight shooter doesn't always lead to success. Isn't that right, my friends?"

He was met with several nods, cheers and glasses raised.

"After I was quickly replaced by a man known as Nathan Bridger, I realized that sometimes if you really want something, you have to fight for it…and you can't always get it by fighting fair. The UEO never respected my intelligence…my knowledge…my power. I faked my death in order to escape their pursuit. They were silly enough to believe it! Naturally, I never intended for that to be the last they heard of Niles Sinclair. For the last few months I have been working on something bigger, something better than the SeaQuest…something that will literally blow her out of the water. I tried….negotiating with Bridger recently…and I had every intention of leaving with his ship. Instead, I found myself with a much better proposition. Most of you have already met my prize, but for those of you who haven't, allow me to introduce Kristin. Please join me here, my sweet."

Kristin shuddered involuntarily as a guard nudged her onto the makeshift stage towards Sinclair. There was a round of applause from the audience. He wrapped his arm around her waist.

"Yes, ladies and gentlemen, this is the woman who was once Nathan Bridger's wife. A woman he clearly did not care for enough to fight for her. He simply agreed to negotiate her in exchange for his own life and the life of his son. It was rather pathetic, I assure you…so much for the courageous captain. But now, she is mine…and Bridger has cowered back to his beloved ship, completely weak and vulnerable. She deserves a much better man than that, wouldn't you agree?" Some men in the audience whistled while the rest of them cheered. "A man who will fight for her…a powerful man who will give her anything she wants….a REAL man. And she has finally realized that that man is me."

Nathan was watching the entire scene from above with a sick stomach. He wished he could turn back time and give his own life instead of letting Kristin stay for him. It pained him to see her so vulnerable in the arms of a madman. Nathan tried to contain his anger. His crew, as part of the audience, stared uncomfortably at the stage as they tried to fit in by applauding and forcing smiles. They knew that's not what happened. They all wished they could take Kristin off the stage. She looked trapped but she held her composure very well. Inside, she was ready to punch Sinclair. She could punch him and make a run for it….no….she had to stick to the plan.

"But, this is not why all of you came. Yes, I have slowly broken down the UEO's knight…and now, my friends, is the perfect time to strike."

With that, several of Sinclair's men pulled back the sheets that covered the screens and tables. Complex blueprints and dozens of different machine guns lay before them.

"I have before you, the plans for a new vessel, along with prototypes for new weaponry my men and I have developed. This is a vessel capable of destroying the SeaQuest and forcing the UEO to turn over its power. We have already begun to build it, but I need your help. I need your investments and I welcome you to join its crew. Together, my friends, WE can take over the SeaQuest and rule the oceans!"

Several people in the audience stood up cheering and applauding.

"Come on, Bill, this has gone on long enough…where's our cue?" Nathan whispered into his microphone, desperate to get on with stopping Sinclair. "

He heard a response through his earpiece. "Nathan, we are ready to go but we can't get a clear shot of Sinclair right now. Not without potentially harming Kristin. We need to wait until she is out of his way. Everyone, at the ready to pull out your weapons. You know the plan. Focus on your targets. We have a team ready to storm. We need Kristin off that stage."

"Damn!" Nathan cursed under his breath.

All of a sudden, someone grabbed his shoulders from behind and yanked him around.

"Why hello, Mr. Bridger. I believe Mr. Sinclair will be happy to see you." Three of Sinclair's guards quickly grabbed him and started dragging him down the stairs towards the main hall. How the hell did they know he was there? Did they know about the rest of them? This could ruin everything! They dragged him towards Sinclair, who looked amused as he addressed his captive audience.

"Well, well, well. Look at who we have here! My dear friends, it seems my enemy was trying to play the knight in shining armor!"

Kristin panicked inside. Nathan was caught! Sinclair grabbed her by the waist and held her tightly against him so she couldn't run off. She tried to struggle out of his grasp.

"Sinclair, please, don't hurt him!"

"I must say, Bridger, I underestimated you. One of my men managed to see the lovely Kristin sneak up to the third floor, which seemed rather suspicious. Now I know why. My dear, you did play the part of defeated prisoner rather well. I was beginning to enjoy myself with you being such a…willing… partner."

Kristin shook her head in realization and horror. It was her fault they caught him. A few tears ran down her face. She looked at Nathan and mouthed the words "I'm sorry." Nathan's heart broke, hoping she wasn't punishing herself for their current situation. He tried to reassure her without words and struggled against the guards who were holding him. He heard a voice in his ear.

"Nathan, get her out of his way and we can end this."

Sinclair continued teasing his prisoners in front of everyone.

"Bridger it would give me no pleasure to kill you right in front of everyone right here and now. That would be too easy. And you've come all this way, I would hate to not make it worth your while. I'm sure there are other people here who would love to see you suffer. Maybe we can give them a good show?"

While Sinclair was talking, Nathan looked at Kristin and mouthed the word "move." Kristin looked at him puzzled at first. He shifted his eyes back and forth to tell her to try and get out of Sinclair's grasp, as if showing the urgency of what he was saying. Kristin nodded in realization.

"What do you say we make this a little more interesting?" With that, he whipped out a gun from his pocket and held it against Kristin's head as he tightened his hold on her.

"Oh God no, Sinclair!" Nathan struggled even harder to break free. Sinclair smiled evilly. Now what were they supposed to do?


	17. Chapter 17

Nathan stared at Kristin, begging her to be strong, reassuring her this would be over soon. Katie and Ben looked at each other, wondering if they should do anything, but they heard Bill's order over the microphone and decided to stand down.

Kristin spoke up. "Sinclair, please, you don't have to do this."

Sinclair lowered his head to rest on her shoulder as he held the gun against the other side of her head. He whispered in her ear, loud enough for Nathan to hear.

"Sweet Kristin, I do regret that I never had a chance to…fully…experience making love to you, my pet." While still keeping a hold of her, he started nipping at and kissing her ear and neck, loving how uncomfortable it made Nathan. Kristin took that opportunity to twist her head and meet his lips with hers, making for a seemingly passionate kiss. At that moment, she felt him loosen his grip a little as he was otherwise distracted by the kiss. She quickly twisted her body toward him and kneed him in the groin, causing him to bend over in pain. Nathan released a breath he wasn't sure he was holding.

"You bitch!" Kristin made a run towards Nathan, but was stopped in her tracks as a shot rang out. Kristin screamed at the impact of the bullet on her side and fell to the floor just in front of Nathan. Nathan screamed.

"Kristin! No!"

At that moment, the entire room broke out in chaos as two more shots rang out, this time hitting Sinclair in the knees and he fell to the ground. FBI, UEO and other agents barged in the door, Katie, Ben, Crocker, Ford and all the other undercover agents reached out their guns and subdued as many of Sinclair's goons and guests as possible.

In an instant, McNeely walked up to the three guards holding Nathan, yanked his stunner of out of his pocket and immediately disabled them, allowing Nathan to break free. Several agents jumped on Sinclair and handcuffed him immediately, including McNeely. Sinclair looked at him menacingly. He just smiled back and waved goodbye as the agents dragged him to the holding cell in the back of the FBI cars parked just outside.

Nathan immediately ran to and knelt in front of Kristin, who was alive but in pain, blood dripping slowly from the wound on her side. She was breathing heavily and in a bit of shock. He rested her head on his knees and tried applying some pressure to her injury.

Nathan looked at Kristin, thankful she was still breathing and back in his arms. "It's going to be alright sweetheart. Hang in there. Help is on the way."

"Nathan…I love you…it hurts." She managed to speak weakly in between winces.

At that moment two paramedics came in with a stretcher and started tending to Kristin.

"She's been shot." He informed the medic who tended to her.

"Thank you sir. We'll take her from here."

"Please…let me go with her. She's my wife."

"Very well." The medic started loading Kristin on the gurney.

At that moment, Bill came over. "Nathan! Everything alright? Is Kristin okay?"

"I don't know Bill. He shot her right in the side. She tried to get away from him but he got her."

A few tears escaped as he thought of what just happened in the last minute.

"Go with her. We'll take care of everything here. It's over, Nathan…the sting was a success."

"Well, forgive me if I'm not jumping for joy right now. I'll talk to you later, Bill."

Noyce nodded, understanding his friend's pain.

The life flight helicopter left the scene and headed towards the hospital. During the flight, Kristin was in and out, fighting the pain and trying to stay awake. The exhaustion from the events of the last few days was catching up with both of them. Nathan did not let Kristin out of his sight as they wheeled her into the emergency room.

"We'll take it from here, Mr. Bridger. I take it we can reach you in your son's room?"

Nathan breathed a heavy sigh, knowing she was getting the best care possible, and nodded to the doctor.

Lucas immediately sat up as soon as he heard the door open. Nathan smiled immediately, happy to see him doing so well.

"Oh Kiddo, it's good to see you."

Nathan walked over to him and sat down on the bed next to him, giving him a hug and letting him lean against his shoulder. Lucas half expected Kristin to walk in after him.

"Hey! Dad! Where is she? What happened?"

"It's a long story, but right now your mother is in the emergency room."

"What?"

"She got shot, Lucas. She was trying to get away so the agents could have a clear shot, but he got to her first."

"Is she going to be alright?"

"I don't know, son. She was shot in the side, but the doctors wouldn't say anything else. She's been through a lot in the last 48 hours, kiddo. The best we can do now is hope for the best."

A few hours later…

Nathan and Lucas had fallen asleep watching television and were woken up by the sound of knocking on the door.

"Come in!" Nathan got up and walked towards the door.

The doctor peered inside.

"Mr. Bridger. I came to talk with you about your wife's condition."

"Yes? How is she?"

"She's going to be fine, sir."

"Oh thank God." Nathan sighed.

"The bullet missed all her major organs. She does have quite a bit of bruising all over her body. Is there anything that would have caused this?"

Nathan frowned at the memory. "Yes, she was tortured with some rather high voltage electric shocks."

"Well, that would explain it. We have taken her out of surgery but I'd like to keep an eye on her in the next 24 to 48 hours to track her progress. We thought, under the circumstances, we could wheel her in here with your son."

"That would be wonderful."

"I do have to tell you, she needs to get as much rest as possible. She is currently still under anesthesia, but we'll bring her over when she wakes up."

"Thank you so much, doctor."

"Not a problem, captain."

The doctor left and Nathan went back and hugged Lucas, who had gotten up in the middle of the conversation and was smiling ecstatically to hear his mom was going to be okay.

A few hours later, another knock came, this time a few nurses wheeled Kristin's bed into the room. She was hooked up to a few IVs with blood and fluids. She smiled immediately as she saw Nathan and Lucas and spoke rather weakly.

"Oh Nathan! Lucas! I'm so happy to see you!"

Nathan ran over to her side and kissed her as soon as he possibly could. He thanked the nurses and let them out. Lucas, who by know had his IV removed, walked over to his mom's bedside and enveloped her in a hug, careful not too squeeze too hard or get in the way of all the cables and tubes.

"Oh my darling boy! Are you okay?" She asked Lucas.

"I'm fine, mom. How are you?"

"I've been better but I think, given the circumstances, I'm quite alright. Nathan, what happened to Sinclair?"

"They got everyone, sweetheart. They're all under arrest. It's all over. Everything's going to be fine."

Kristin let out a deep sigh. "I'm so glad it's over. I was so worried I was never going to leave that horrid place but I knew you'd come for me."

"Shhh! It's okay." He cupped her cheek in his hand. "I would never have left you there. Kristin, I love you. I don't know why we keep finding ourselves in these situations, but we will make it through this. We always have. My family means more to me than anything else in the world. Nobody can keep us apart, right Lucas?"

"Right." Lucas smiled, glad that his family was back and they were all safe.

Nathan continued. "We have our friends to thank for their help as well."

"Yes, and now I can actually laugh a bit at Ben's Spanish accent. I was so grateful to see them all there. And be sure to tell Admiral Noyce to give that McNeely agent a promotion." Kristin added.

"Absolutely. Now what do you say we all get some rest and then take a vacation once you recover?"

"Oh, and where do you suppose we should go?"

"Anywhere without castles." Lucas chimed in adamantly.

"Agreed." Both Nathan and Kristin responded in unison.

"How about we go to my island? Or, we could hitch a ride on the SeaQuest to Australia."

"That sounds wonderful, Nathan."

"I'd love to go to Australia! Can we hug a koala?"

"I'm sure we can arrange for that."

"Very cool."

The family of three lay there, content in each other's company, as they all fell asleep for some much needed rest.

The End.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed the ride! Please read and review! This story had been in my head for about 8 or 9 years…feels good to finally complete it I do have a few other ideas, and I promise the next one will NOT take so long haha.


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